The WEM experienced a moderate price spike in WA1 on 5 August 2026 at 04:05 UTC, with the regional reference price reaching $261.49/MWh, a sharp increase from the preceding five intervals which ranged between $144.92 and $153.35/MWh. This represented an 80% jump from the prior interval price of $144.92/MWh across a single 5-minute trading period.
The price spike coincided with a binding constraint (F_T+RREG_0050) carrying a marginal value of $4.08/MWh, suggesting localised network or system security limitations contributed to elevated prices. The high participation of gas-fired generation (GAS_OCGT 908.24 MW and GAS_CCGT 333.12 MW) combined with substantial wind output (840.77 MW across two wind records) indicates a generation mix heavily dependent on flexible dispatchable sources, which may have experienced rapid ramping requirements or dispatch inflexibility during the interval.
Causal analysis generated by gridIQ's synthesis model from live AEMO market data: dispatch prices, generation mix, interconnector flows and market notices in the interval surrounding the event.